Does Obesity Protect Against Death in Sepsis? A Retrospective Cohort Study of 55,038 Adult Patients*

Abstract

In adults with clinically defined sepsis, we demonstrate lower short-term mortality in patients with higher body mass indices compared with those with normal body mass indices (both unadjusted and adjusted analyses) and higher short-term mortality in those with low body mass indices. Understanding how obesity improves survival in sepsis would inform prognostic and therapeutic strategies.